San Fernando Valley
Locals obsess over Porto's. There always seems to be a queue somewhere in this sprawling bakery-cafe, where different stations dispense hearty sandwiches,…
Must-see restaurants in Los Angeles
Hollywood
This LA burger chain is a point of pilgrimage for locals and visitors alike. Yes, this is fast food, but In & Out has been hand-crafting burgers since…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
It's hard to overstate the phenomenon that is Howlin' Ray's. Customers gladly queue for two hours or more – check Twitter for current wait times – at this…
Butcher, the Baker, the Cappuccino Maker
West Hollywood & Mid-City
Literally and spiritually at the heart of the Sunset Strip, bright, airy indoor-outdoor BBCM does Instagram-ready comfort food: eggs Benedict, bananas…
Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
Set in a hipster-chic brick-house loft, but sealed off from the on-rushing madness of Lincoln Blvd, this German sausage and beer haus specializes in three…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
As old-school delis go, Canter's is hard to beat. A fixture in the traditionally Jewish Fairfax district since 1931, seen-it-all waitresses serve up the…
San Fernando Valley
This sophisticated spot with brick and black-mottled walls has been in business since 1964 thanks to dishes such as chicken penne, branzino filet, plenty…
Santa Monica
Some call this minimalist spot from the team behind Sugarfish 'fast-food pasta', but if only other pasta places were this good. Noodles shipped directly…
Santa Monica
Set poolside at the Fairmont, and conceived with a coastal organic ethos, Fig sources many ingredients from the twice-weekly farmers market down the…
Malibu & Pacific Palisades
The restaurant at the top-notch Malibu Beach Inn could get by on its ocean-view deck, but fortunately it doesn't. Chefs bypass the farmers markets and go…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
Carnivorous foodies pray at the altar of Animal, the restaurant that put food bros Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo on the map. Begin with chicken-liver toast…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
Progressive, well-executed Italo-Asian fusion rules the roost here. Grain bowls feature on the simpler lunch menu – choose your base (quinoa, barley,…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
This unpretentious yet gourmet taco stand in the Original Farmers Market is often credited with starting LA's boom in authentic, regional Mexican cooking…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
The Farmers Market is a great spot for a casual meal any time of day, especially if the rug rats are tagging along. Its narrow walkways are lined with…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
It's a veritable scene at the crossroads of WeHo, where reality TV's Vanderpump Rules star Lisa Vanderpump has opened this showplace. There's always a…
Santa Monica
At this 'wine bar and seasonal kitchen', almost all the ingredients for the daily-updated menus come from local organic producers (credited on the menu,…
Los Angeles
'Donuts. Done differently' is its slogan, and it's not kidding. Here, holed treats are sprinkled with coconut bacon, stuffed with vegan cream cheese and…
Los Angeles
The (neon) writing is on the (brick) wall: I Got Baked in Los Angeles. Mr Holmes promises highs of the sugary type at this airy, buzz-inducing bakery…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
One of the first market cafes in the LA area, Joan’s on Third is still one of the best. The coffee and pastries are absurdly good, and the deli churns out…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
Amid the modeling agencies and couture boutiques, and with a long history of celebrity power lunches, this flower-festooned and cushioned cottage is where…
South Bay Beaches
The most refined joint in Hermosa, this upscale Mexican kitchen does mole scallops, braised lamb nachos and chorizo-stuffed dates, and has a full raw bar,…
Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
Westside outpost of the DTLA hipster foodie favorite. This cozy, post-industrial storefront's best seller is the Fairfax sandwich (a lovably gooey mess of…
Malibu & Pacific Palisades
A lovely antidote to the seafood and burger shacks that dominate piers up and down California's coast, this suite of whitewashed dining rooms is beachy…
Pasadena & the San Gabriel Valley
Behind the rotunda facade, this SGV dim-sum institution seats 388 at a time. At peak hours (roughly 10am to 1pm on weekends) all seats are full, with a…
San Fernando Valley
Stuck in a cramped and otherwise nondescript, split-level mini-mall that's easy to miss is one of the best-kept secrets among LA’s sushi aficionados. Kazu…
Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
From the salt-roasted branzino, to the porcini-crusted hangar steak, to the burger and the quail, it's all very good here. The pastas are especially good …
Santa Monica
The best seafood market in Southern California offers a tasty oyster bar and market cafe, where you can sample delicious chowder, salmon burgers, albacore…
Santa Monica
In Japan, omusubi (rice balls, aka onigiri) are an everyday staple, and this counter-service shop aims to make them popular Stateside. Before your eyes,…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
Chef Gavin Mills' perfectionism shows in Miro’s pan-Mediterranean, North African–influenced menu, a regularly changing selection of house-made charcuterie…
Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood & Westwood
'Snow cream' is the thing here: neither ice cream nor shaved ice, but something in between. Imagine a block of ice milk (some in Asian-inspired flavors…
Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood & Westwood
If your idea of Japanese cooking is sushi, tempura and teriyaki, this cheerful, minimalist, good-for-you storefront will be a pleasant surprise. The…
San Fernando Valley
In a world where restaurants seem to be heading toward hipster heaven, Casa Vega, in business since 1956, is a welcome throwback. Amid wrought-iron…
Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood & Westwood
Dessert fans flock to this hip, adorable storefront in Sawtelle Japantown for its weekly-changing selection of bread pudding from over 40 flavors: maple…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
Upscale Southern cooking comes to one of SoCal's highest profile corners, in the massive Beverly Center. Come hungry for devilish deviled eggs and mama's…
Westlake & Koreatown
Inside the Koreatown Galleria, this massive, modern market is a food adventure and offers great bang for your buck. Start with the colorful arrays of…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
Chego is a casual, counter-service, brick-and-mortar outlet by chef Roy Choi, king of LA's food truck movement. While his Kogi truck brought the world…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
Some restaurants have an executive chef; Farmhouse has an 'executive farmer,' Nathan Peitso, who sources sustainable ingredients 'seed-to-plate' style…
Pasadena & the San Gabriel Valley
Upstairs in this megamall is a spiffy new East Asian food hall. Among the selections are Side Chick (Hainan chicken and rice with habit-forming ginger…
Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
There's always fresh brew on tap at this postmodern barn of a beer hall, owned by Firestone Walker Brewery, and the comforting pub grub is way better than…
Los Angeles
Clean lines, loud hip-hop and a gourmet pedigree animate this fast-food concept from Roy Choi, the chef credited with starting LA's food-truck revolution…
